Gordon Brown seized the initiative yesterday over the Stern report on climate change by presenting himself in the role of a future leader with the mission of saving the world from a global catastrophe.
The Chancellor eclipsed Tony Blair, who was sitting next to him on the platform, with a personal commitment that the Government will raise the priority of the environment alongside the economy and employment.
Embracing a radical green agenda for the first time, Mr Brown, who has been criticised by environmental groups for not doing enough to combat CO2 emissions by taxing the motorist, said tackling climate change was a new "moral imperative".
He also made it clear he believed it was possible to tackle climate change without destroying economic growth, saying: "I want to set new ambitions for Britain to lead the world in creating a stable and sustainable economy founded on low carbon, which is pro-growth and pro-green."
Mr Brown, who commissioned Sir Nicholas Stern's review of global warming for the Treasury, said his report would dominate the UN climate change conference in Nairobi next week.
"The challenge of environmental care and climate change is also an opportunity for us," said Mr Brown. "We in Britain can lead the world. There is the biggest opportunity of all - of safeguarding the planet for the generations to come."
He set out proposals for a new Europe-wide emissions reduction target of 30 per cent by 2020, and at least 60 per cent by 2050 - eventually to be extended worldwide. He also confirmed he had appointed the former US Democrat presidential candidate Al Gore as Britain's special adviser on climate change,
Mr Blair followed the lead taken last week by David Cameron, the Tory leader, by announcing he will introduce a climate change Bill in the Queen's Speech in November.
However, it will fall short of the demands from a cross-party coalition of 400 MPs who are demanding annual binding targets for reducing carbon dioxide emissions.
The Environment Secretary, David Miliband, made it clear in a statement to MPs that the Government still believes that long-term targets are more appropriate. But he did make one concession to the growing pressure for annual targets by announcing that there will be "interim" targets.
Officials were unable to say last night who would set out the targets. A new Carbon Committee will be set up under the legislation, but its powers were also unclear. Officials denied the Government is rushing out the Bill without thinking it through because it was afraid of being left behind by the Tories and the Liberal Democrats.
Mr Brown was also put under pressure to increase green taxes on motoring and aviation travel by a leaked internal memorandum by Mr Miliband to the Treasury at the weekend. Mr Brown made it clear yesterday that he will increase some taxes in the Budget, but he left the way open to levy taxes, which are lower than many fear.
"Tax of course has got a role to play and everybody recognises it. But it is not the only means by which we can secure action," said Mr Brown. He said it required a combination of education, incentives and tax reliefs to change people's behaviour, but he stressed that international action was vital if there were to be lasting gains against global warming.
The shadow Chancellor, George Osborne, said there was a need now for the Government to give leadership both at home and internationally. "I certainly think there needs to be an increase in green taxation as a proportion of tax revenues," he told BBC Radio. "We see green taxes as a replacement for other taxes. This should not be an excuse for an overall increase in the tax burden."
Last night, as part of moves to show it is taking action, the Government announced that 10 NHS trusts across the UK were preparing to reduce their annual carbon footprint by 15 per cent, or 40,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions between them, after signing up to the new NHS Carbon Management Programme.
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